Grading the Buffalo Bills offense in 30-19 win vs. Rams

The Buffalo Bills secured their third consecutive victory on Sunday, defeating the Los Angeles Rams 30-19 at the Coliseum. Here are our grades for the Bills offense, position-by-position.

Quarterback: B-

Once again, quarterback Tyrod Taylor did just enough to lead the offense to success but his personal performance was still shy of the kind of play that would justify his contract option being picked up.

Taylor completed 12-of-23 pass attempts for 124 yards and two touchdowns. Taylor’s stat line was damaged by three drops, but he struggled with accuracy and missed opportunities to extend drives on critical third downs.

He relied on his athletic ability to extend plays and roll out of the pocket while adding 27 rushing yards on five carries. Although Taylor still has significant room to grow as a passer, he’s protected the ball and hasn’t been a detriment to the offense.

Running backs: A

LeSean McCoy is an absolute superstar. Since Anthony Lynn was promoted to offensive coordinator following Week 2’s Thursday Night Football loss to the New York Jets, McCoy has been simply outstanding. In Week 5, he ran for 150 yards on just 18 carries, averaging a ridiculous 8.3 yards-per-carry.

Although McCoy didn’t score a touchdown, he was integral in getting the Bills into scoring position on two separate occasions.He had two catches for eight yards and performed admirably in pass protection.

Mike Gillislee had two carries for six yards, including a five-yard touchdown run. Reggie Bush saw just one carry on a Wildcat snap that went for three yards. Fullback Jerome Felton had another decent day as a lead blocker. It’s clear that Felton and McCoy have built a rapport and are in sync as a pairing.

Wide receivers: C+

As a group, Buffalo’s wide receivers were targeted a combined 14 times on Sunday, and collectively recorded five receptions for 43 yards and two touchdowns.

Robert Woods was guilty of a drop but came back to make a great catch on the following play on a poorly thrown pass by Taylor. Marquise Goodwin scored a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. On the season, Goodwin has caught just six passes on 21 targets. His timing with Taylor hasn’t looked great, particularly on short-to-intermediate sideline passes.

Justin Hunter, who was claimed off of waivers last week scored a touchdown on his lone reception of the game on a four-yard pass in the red zone.

Tight ends: B+

Charles Clay has continued to be a point of emphasis in Lynn’s game planning. The athletic tight end caught all five targets in his direction for 73 receiving yards. Clay was also superb as a run blocker, proving his value to the team as a multifaceted option. Second-year tight end Nick O’Leary only saw action as a blocker and performed admirably. Recently promoted tight end Gerald Christian saw limited snaps.

Offensive line: A-

Despite the Rams’ defensive line being decimated by injuries, the Bills still had to account for the phenom that is defensive tackle, Aaron Donald. The unit managed to hold Donald to two tackles, one tackle for a loss, and half a sack. As a collective, Los Angeles’ defense managed to tally just two sacks in the game.

Right guard John Miller performed brilliantly against Donald, barely allowing him to penetrate the backfield at all. Miller showed all the smarts that the coaching staff raved about when he was drafted, using correct angles and technique to leverage Donald out of rushing lanes.

Left tackle Cordy Glenn continues to look healthier and had a stellar game. Glenn faced a rotation of pass rushers and used his length and athletic ability to consistently ease them past the pocket. As a run blocker, Glenn had a key block on LeSean McCoy’s 53-yard run in the first half.

Center Eric Wood, left guard Richie Incognito, and right tackle Jordan Mills played every snap and performed well enough to assist the offense. Mills was at least partly responsible for one sack, while Wood and Incognito shared the blame for the other.

The offensive line has its timing down on run blocks and is working well as a cohesive unit. McCoy owes his linemen a well-earned meal for their efforts to spring him free over the past few games.

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